Molecular Cytogenetics in Trough Shells (Mactridae, Bivalvia): Divergent GC-Rich Heterochromatin Content
Departamento de Bioquímica, Xenética e Inmunoloxía, Universidade de Vigo, E-36310 Vigo, Spain
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Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Academic Editor: Montserrat Corominas
Genes 2016, 7(8), 47; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes7080047
Received: 29 June 2016
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Revised: 3 August 2016
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Accepted: 8 August 2016
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Published: 16 August 2016
(This article belongs to the Section Population and Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics)
The family Mactridae is composed of a diverse group of marine organisms, commonly known as trough shells or surf clams, which illustrate a global distribution. Although this family includes some of the most fished and cultured bivalve species, their chromosomes are poorly studied. In this work, we analyzed the chromosomes of Spisula solida, Spisula subtruncata and Mactra stultorum by means of fluorochrome staining, C-banding and fluorescent in situ hybridization using 28S ribosomal DNA (rDNA), 5S rDNA, H3 histone gene and telomeric probes. All three trough shells presented 2n = 38 chromosomes but different karyotype compositions. As happens in most bivalves, GC-rich regions were limited to the nucleolus organizing regions in Spisula solida. In contrast, many GC-rich heterochromatic bands were detected in both Spisula subtruncata and Mactra stultorum. Although the three trough shells presented single 5S rDNA and H3 histone gene clusters, their chromosomal locations differed. Regarding major rDNA clusters, while Spisula subtruncata presented a single cluster, both Spisula solida and Mactra stultorum showed two. No evidence of intercalary telomeric signals was detected in these species. The molecular cytogenetic characterization of these taxa will contribute to understanding the role played by chromosome changes in the evolution of trough shells.
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Keywords:
trough shells; chromosome; heterochromatin; fluorescent in situ hybridization; histone genes; ribosomal RNA genes
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MDPI and ACS Style
García-Souto, D.; Pérez-García, C.; Kendall, J.; Pasantes, J.J. Molecular Cytogenetics in Trough Shells (Mactridae, Bivalvia): Divergent GC-Rich Heterochromatin Content. Genes 2016, 7, 47. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes7080047
AMA Style
García-Souto D, Pérez-García C, Kendall J, Pasantes JJ. Molecular Cytogenetics in Trough Shells (Mactridae, Bivalvia): Divergent GC-Rich Heterochromatin Content. Genes. 2016; 7(8):47. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes7080047
Chicago/Turabian StyleGarcía-Souto, Daniel, Concepción Pérez-García, Jack Kendall, and Juan J. Pasantes. 2016. "Molecular Cytogenetics in Trough Shells (Mactridae, Bivalvia): Divergent GC-Rich Heterochromatin Content" Genes 7, no. 8: 47. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes7080047
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